Dina Bonnevie is in the news again. The controversy surrounding her at the moment started when she made a pronouncement recently about how today’s young stars have started to look alike.

“Do they go to the same doctor?” That was her follow-up comment —pointing to cosmetic surgery as the source of her confusion since she can no longer tell the present generation of actors apart.

Although those were strong words, Dina is not even getting bashed on the internet. Netizens agree with her. Social media users also believe that present-day celebrities are already going overboard in their quest to have the perfect face. The result: They all look the same — as per Ms. Bonnevie’s correct observation.

The outcome isn’t even pretty (no intended pun). Most of them looked better prior to their cosmetic procedures.

But again, I have a quarrel with netizens insisting that stars of before all went natural. “Walang retoke (no touch up).” Or so they thought. Heck, even Snooky Serna, Dina’s co-star in “Underage,” had long publicly admitted having a nose job.

Going back to the issue involving Dina, however, the actress is right on target again as always. And she made that declaration without fear of repercussions.

But that doesn’t surprise the public anymore. When Dina joined the movies in 1980, she immediately made it known that she was the type to speak her mind. To think she was only 18 then.

Thankfully, she always makes sense. This is one reason why her views are always respected. She may be blunt when she gives her opinions, but expect her to always say the truth — with no sugar-coating. Dina had long proven that she’s one of the most intelligent minds in show business.

What she said about young showbiz people starting to look alike is again on point. But then, it’s not only the one size fits all cosmetic jobs that should be blamed for getting us all confused when we look at the array of newbies today.

Could it be possible that there are just too many of them? No more “artista” searches, please! The entertainment business is already overflowing with actors. We can’t distinguish them anymore from each other.

The slots in show business are so limited that every newcomer is fighting for space — to be recognized and to be able to stand out from the rest.

Unfortunately, the one option they seek — although this is wrong — is to have the look of physical perfection.

And so, they have themselves cosmetically enhanced. But going to a doctor to have a nose job is not like buying a pair of jeans at the mall. Tampering with the face requires a series of consultations with the doctor.

Today’s new breed embraces cosmetic enhancement like fashion. They go for the latest trend in facial features. Never mind if the newest cosmetic procedure does not suit them. Oh, somebody got a new chin (done in less than five minutes), might as well get one.

Why do young stars today look alike? For one, they all have the same teeth — in case you didn’t notice. Two decades ago, even people outside of show business had retainers to align their teeth.

Having crooked teeth didn’t seem to bother the stars of an earlier generation. Robert Arevalo’s teeth were “sungki” (misaligned). And yet, he became a popular actor — recognized not only for his acting talent, but also for his sex appeal. Armida Siguion-Reyna even said once that she had a crush on Arevalo’s “sungki” teeth.

Today, however, youngsters opt for veneers. That’s a huge mistake. Somebody ought to stop them. Imagine having a still perfect set of teeth chiseled in order to make room for something as artificial as veneers. All because it’s trendy to have large teeth.

Oh, the procedures these young people do today to look “perfect.” There really is nothing wrong about improving one’s appearance. But one should be cautious.

Below is a shortlist of cosmetic procedures that should be studied carefully and discussed with your doctor before any alteration is made on the face:

Lip fillers

Having thin lips used to be enviable. Yes, that was how it was in the past — the thinner the lips, the better.

What you are about to read is definitely not politically-correct, but this was how it was before: Thick lips were associated with the ethnic minorities. That attitude had always been wrong and — thankfully — the enlightened Filipino today no longer makes fun of our brothers from tribal groups.

Today, a lot of young women have their lips enhanced — to make these look fuller. That is a dead giveaway though — that somebody had something done on the face. Those bountiful lips don’t have to say anything. They speak for themselves.

The notion that full lips are beautiful started with Angelina Jolie. This Hollywood star, however, was born with those lips, which is why those look good on her.

But then came American media personality Kylie Jenner, who had her lips injected with fillers. Since she is an influencer, everyone else followed suit — even young Pinays.

There really is nothing wrong with lip fillers per se, especially since the thinning of lips comes with aging. Drinking piping hot coffee frequently also causes the thinning of lips, by the way — so be warned.

Most of those who avail of this procedure, sadly, only do so because it is the trend. Never mind if that makes them look silly. And what man would want to kiss enhanced lips?

The good thing about fillers is that it is temporary. The fillers eventually would melt. So, no need to worry if the next fad calls for the thin lips that were so desired until the 1980s.

Rhinoplasty

Be careful about getting a nose job. It is easy to tell if somebody had one. Unfortunately, most Filipinos are born “pango” (flat-nosed). But since the Pinoy’s idea of what is beautiful is based on Western standards, a nose job seems imperative to anyone joining show business.

If one has to undergo Rhinoplasty, it is a must to get a good doctor. And don’t make your bridge too high — that’s a tell-tale sign that you got a nose job. Not to forget — make sure the holes of your nostrils are even.

Botox injections

If one is still young, don’t even do it. In a recent column, this writer shared the advice of Dr. Trish Correa of SG Clinic: Don’t have Botox unless one has already reached the age of 30. And even at 30-something, limit the dose of Botox to be injected in the face. It’s called “softening,” which is not yet a full Botox.

And even if one is already 40 or 50, caution is still necessary. Take the case of this award-winning actor who had one Botox too many. This actor used to get a lot of praises for his performances both on TV and in the movies.

But with all those Botox injections he had, the actor had been reduced to a laughing stock. And for good reason: He now looks like a talking bust of Jose Rizal, minus the mustache. Only the mouth moves since the rest of his face had been frozen by Botox injections.

Having the same full lips, the same chiseled nose and the same immobile face — those are the facial features that give young stars of today a uniformed look. Bonnevie was right when she said that celebrities nowadays look like they came from an assembly line.

Before those young stars undergo cosmetic procedures, they should do a lot of pondering. First, they should realize that there is sometimes beauty in imperfection. And then, they should also learn how to let their individuality shine.

An actress does not become famous because she is the most beautiful — or has the perfect face. In a constellation of stars, one shines brightest because of uniqueness. In this competitive world of show business, there’s one quality these young actors should aspire for: To be like no other.